National Park ServiceU.S. Department of the Interior

National Capital Parks— EastWashington, DC

Junior Ranger ProgramMove and Explore!

Fort Circle Parks— East

What do Junior Rangers do?

Junior Rangers explore Fort Circle trails and spaces in safe and healthy ways.

LearnJunior Rangers learn why the Fort Circle Parks are important and unique to Washington, D.C.

ProtectJunior Rangers protect the parks for many people to enjoy.

This Junior Ranger program will also get you active and exploring the parks! To learn more, read on...

Junior Rangers...

Explore

and

Table of Contents

Directions .................. 3

Checklist .................... 4

Safety Tips ................. 6

Animal Bingo ............. 7

It’s an Invasion! .......... 8

Topography ................ 9

Healthy Trees ............. 10

Shhhhhh .................... 11

You Be the Achimwis ................... 12

Earthworks ................ 13

Contraband Communities ............. 14

Secret Signals ............. 15

Fort Drive .................. 16

Healthy Food Choices ...................... 17

Convince ‘em! ............ 18

Design Your Own Shoe .................. 19

Stewardship ............... 20

Your Secret Spot Map ................... 21

Hints ......................... 22

3

Fill out the personal information part of the checklist with an adult and mail it to the park.

Directions

What do you need to do?

You can find activity points in circles in the upper right corners of pages.

Show off your hard work to an adult and get their help filling out the form! A park ranger will need to know your address in order to send you an official Junior Ranger badge and more!

Act like a Junior Ranger.Junior Rangers will do their best to be healthy, move around and explore, leave no trace of their visit, and keep having fun in the parks!

Good Luck!

Complete at least 10 points worth of activities.

It isn’t hard to become a Junior Ranger, but...

They look like

There is a checklist on the next page to track your points.

4

ChecklistUse this checklist to keep track of your points. White boxes are activities in this booklet, gray boxes are other activities you can do in the parks. When you earn 10 or more points, fill out the information at the bottom with an adult. Then cut out this page on the dotted line and turn it over. Fold on the lines, tape the flap down, stamp, and drop it in the mail. A park ranger will review your work and send you your official Junior Ranger material!

Junior Ranger’s Name:

Address:

E-mail:

Fill out this part with an adult.

Add the numbers in the yellow boxes. Is it more than 10? If yes, congratulations! Complete the area below with an adult. If not, do a few more activities. You are almost there!

Cut

Her

e

I certify that the person named above has completed the tasks necessary to be considered a Fort Circle Parks— East Junior Ranger.

Signature of Parent, Guardian, or Group Leader

To be added to the Junior Ranger Mailing List for updates on park events, check this box.

This information will not be shared with any third parties.

Topography

Healthy Trees

Secret Signals

Ice Skate at Fort Dupont Arena

30+ Minute Hike45+ Minute Bike Ride

Total ActivitiesCompleted

Total x3=

Shhhh...

Achimwis

Earthworks

Convince ‘em!

Design Shoe

Visit Gardens

Picnic in the Park

Total Activities Completed

Total x1=

1 Point Activities 3 Point Activities2 Point Activities

Animal Bingo

Invasion

Contraband

Fort Drive

Healthy Food

Stewardship

Secret Spot Map

Total Activities Completed

Total x2=

Cut H

ere

Fold Here

Fold Here

Don’t Forget A Stamp!

National Capital Parks — EastAttn: Junior Ranger Program1900 Anacostia Dr., SEWashington, DC 20020

Tape Closed Here

The Wild

Safety TipsPark rangers take safety very seriously and you should too. Make smart choices while you are exploring.

Stay on marked trails and paths and leave no trace of your visit. Especially watch out for

Common SenseThere are simple things you can do to protect yourself in the park including:

* Don’t go on the trails alone or at night. * Tell someone who is not going with you how long you will be gone and where you are headed. * Bring water, healthy snacks, and sunscreen. * Dress for changing weather by wearing layers of clothing.

Ticks can spread disease. To prevent tick bites, wear long pants tucked into your socks. Check yourself and others for ticks when you leave the park.

Poison ivy is found on the ground and trees. Its oils can cause skin rashes. If you touch it, wash your skin and clothes with soap and water as soon as possible.

Ticks and Poison Ivy!

Biking and HikingWhen you travel the trails, make sure you:

* Always wear a helmet and walk your bike across streets.* Wear appropriate and comfortable shoes. * Remember to bring and drink water. * Plan your route and share it.* Stay on marked roads and trails and off of the earthworks.

Please do not move or collect rocks, animals, plants, or objects in the park. It’s important for Junior Rangers to help protect these resources for others to enjoy.

Adult Deer Tick Poison Ivy

6

Animal BingoThe Fort Circle Parks— East are unique homes for wildlife in urban Washington. The parks provide food and shelter that many animals would not find in other places in the city.

7

Walk or bike around the Fort Circle trails. When you identify an animal on the bingo card, mark that square. There are also activity squares. When you complete an activity, mark that square too. The game ends when you get a bingo (across or down) or fill 10 spaces total.

Bingo!

Do 20 Jumping Jacks

Pretend to jump rope for 30 seconds. Don’t forget to move your arms!

Do 10 good sit-ups

Do 8 good push-ups

Do 3 one arm push

ups

Jog in place for 60 seconds

Mountain bike for 30 minutes

Hike for 30 minutes

Eastern Gray Squirrel White Cabbage Butterfly European Starling

Male Cardinal

Chipmunk

Gypsy Moth

Eastern Garter Snake

AmericanRobin

Rabbit

BoxTurtle

Five Lined Skink(Adults do not have blue tail )

Yellowjacket

2

It’s an Invasion!

Are most invasives close to or far from the trail? Why? Who do you think is most responsible for their spread?How can the parks help stop the spread of invasives?

Invasives

Ailanthus Canada ThistleMile-A-MinuteAmur Honeysuckle

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About It

Think

8

Follow the trail and use the pictures below to identify plants you find. Use the area on the right and the given symbols to map their location in relationship to the trail.

Invasive plants damage the forest by taking resources like space, water, and light away from natives (plants that do grow naturally). This hurts wildlife by changing their homes and food sources.

Not all plants in the parks are supposed to be here. Many are non-native invasives. This means they do not grow naturally in this area.

Catch the Invaders

2

Natives

Common Poison IvyFlowering DogwoodSweetgum

◊ ¤

50

150

100

200

0

After hiking or biking, draw part of your route cut in half below. You should be drawing a line, not circles! Show the highest points, the steepness of hills, and where the land is flat.

You can see the bowl when you look across the Anacostia River away from downtown.

9

Both maps show the grade and elevation of the hill. They just do it in different ways.

If you cut that hill in half on the dotted line, it would look something like this: Topography means the shape of the land.

Topographic maps look like this:

The distance between the lines show the hill’s grade (steepness) The numbers show the hill’s elevation (height).

Trek Topography

Need some more help understanding topography? See page 22 for another way to think about topography.

Thousands of years ago, the Potomac River cut through the area and shaped the land

around D.C. like a bowl. Fort Circle Parks are at the upper edge. The river and downtown are in the bottom.

High Point

Low Point

Start of hike0

End of hike

Trees on upper edge

River at bottom

Steepest: Where lines are closest together.

Shallowest: Where lines are farthest apart.

Topography 3

Crown is 10 feet

Take 10 steps...

10

Example

Roots are important because they act as anchors and provide the tree with water, nutrients, and a place to store food. Roots do not grow very deep—most are less than one foot underground!

Healthy trees are important to the environment. They clean the water and air, provide shade, and make people proud of their neighborhood. Healthy trees need space for their roots to grow. Like people, individual trees have different needs. How much space a tree needs depends on both the species (kind) and the specific tree.

How much space do roots really need?

This tree’s crown is 10 feet, so its healthy root system will extend at least 20 feet (10 steps) from the trunk! Without this space, a tree may not get the nutrients it needs or be able to anchor itself into the ground.

Measure a tree’s root system:

Your footstep is about 2 feet long. Standing at the trunk of the tree, walk away from it to measure the tree’s root system.

ft2 Multiply the crown’s width by 2. The tree’s healthy underground root system needs this much space!

3

ft

How wide do you think the crown is? Write your estimate in the box on the right.

Find a small tree in the park and look up at its crown (top leaves). 1x2

=

About It

Think

Your health is connected to tree health! Living near green spaces like parks helps people lower stress, concentrate on work, and solve problems. Washington has more than 120,000 trees. Do you think living near green spaces affects you?

Healthy Trees 3

Shhhhhh....

If you take the time to slow down and listen to your surroundings, you may hear some surprising things. One way to slow down is by using yoga, a kind of exercise from India. It helps people control their mind, body, and breathing. Try yoga’s “Mountain Pose.”

What did you hear? Once you open your eyes, record what you heard in the space below.

Would you have realized how many sounds are in the park without taking time to quietly listen?

There is more to the park than meets the eye.

11

Find a quiet spot. Stand feet together, hands at your sides.Close your eyes. Breathe deeply.Try to relax your back, shoulders, and mind. Listen for a minute...

Mountain Pose

1

Did you know that loud noise can cause stress? This stress can harm your hearing, heart, and mind. Focusing on being quiet sometimes is a simple healthy choice!

About It

Think

You be the Achimwis Long before the city of Washington existed, this area was the home of American Indians. The Anacostan Indians, an Algonquian speaking people, lived in these forests.

From “Lenape Stories,” http://www.delawaretribeofindians.nsn.us/storypage.htm

A Lenape man was on a Long hunt far from his village. He was Resting when an owl Hooted at him from a Tree. The man said, “Owl, I heard you. If you bring some animals my way, I promise I will hang the Heart from the largest deer I kill in a tree for you.”

The next morning, the man Woke Up early and killed a large deer. He was very excited and headed Back to camp without leaving the heart and fat for the owl. He had only taken a few Steps when he heard the Owl hoot again.

The owl was Angry and said, “You didn’t keep your promise! When you put Down that deer, you will die!” The hunter said, “Owl, I did forget to keep my promise, but I can curse too. When you stop Flying and land, you will die!” Both soon realized what they had done was Silly. The owl said, “If you reverse your curse, I will do the same and we can work together again.” The hunter agreed and hung the heart from his Deer on a tree for the owl. He and the owl worked together and the hunter had the best Hunt he ever had.

The hunter learned an important lesson from the owl on this Trip which he never forgot— whenever a promise is made, it should always be kept.

1

The Hunter and the Owl

This story is from the Lenape, a northern neighbor of the Anacostans. You will be the achimwis (Lenape for storyteller). Read the story to a group. However, when you reach a Green word, don’t say it. Instead, act out the word (you can make noises) and get the group to guess it before continuing! (If they guess a word that is close, that’s okay too!)

Achimwis Charades

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13

Earthworks

Fort Circle Parks— East holds 15 of the 68 earthworks that circled Washington during the Civil War. These forts were called earthworks because they were built mostly of dirt. Engineers designed the earthworks carefully and the city was well protected from invasion.

During the war, soldiers, former slaves, and hired men dug the earthworks. They looked like this.

1

When Civil War soldiers attacked on foot, they would start marching towards the enemy slowly and speed up as they got closer. Guns didn’t fire accurately and by charging, soldiers could attack at close range with their bayonets (sharp metal points at the tip of their rifles). Follow these directions to attack an “enemy.”

Attacking Activity

How long does it take you to get from Stick A to Stick D? See if you can do this activity with a partner. Remember, you both want to get to Stick D at the same time.

Today most earthworks are hidden by the forest. They look like hills covered with plants.

Stick A Stick DStick CStick B

2March from Stick A at a comfortable walking speed. 3 When you get to

Stick B, march twice as fast. 4 When you reach

Stick C, run to the next stick. 5 Stick D

is your “enemy”!

Find four sticks and lay them the same distance apart on the ground. 1

Earthwork: A fort made with dirt walls.

Rampart: Fort wall made of dirt. Bombproof: Underground room in fort. Abatis: Fence made of tree branches.

Parts of an Earthwork:

LibraryofCongress.

Contraband Communities

Contraband people often camped near D.C. forts because they felt safe. After the war, many stayed in Washington. Most lived in the city, but some lived in new neighborhoods near the forts. Many neighborhoods still exist in these areas including Barry Farm (near Fort Stanton), Deanwood (near Fort Mahan), and areas around Congress Heights (near Forts Carroll and Greble.)

Children had little free time because they had to do a lot of chores. When they had time, they may have played a version of a game from Ghana called ampe.

DIRECTIONS

1) Find a partner and pick a leader. 2) Face each other. 3) Count to 3. 4) Clap once.5) Jump once.6) Stick out one leg.

*Both players should do each step at the same time, like in Rock, Paper, Scissors.

SCORING

* If both players have legs on the same side out, the leader gets 1 point.

*If legs are out on opposite sides, the person who is not the leader gets 1 point.

*First player to 11 wins!

ThesemencampedneartheFederalArmy80milessouthwestofWashington,DCinCulpeper,VA.

14

What is Contraband?Because slaves did work for the Confederacy, the Federal army called runaway slaves contraband. Being called contraband allowed runaways to be considered Federal property and legally freed when they reached the North.

Property that helps an enemy during war.

Where did contraband people live?

What did contraband children do?

How to Play Ampe

2

Non-leader gets one point because opposite feet are out.

Leader gets one point because same feet are out.

RL

LL

A: 11B: 1221C: 212D: 111E: 21F: 1112G: 1122H: 211I: 2J: 2211K: 1212L: 112M: 2112N: 22O: 12P: 2121Q: 2122R: 122S: 121T: 1U: 221V: 2111W: 2212X: 1211Y: 222Z: 1111

15

Secret SignalsFort Circle forts were used as signal towers during the Civil War because they sat at the highest points around the city. Trained soldiers passed messages from fort to fort using red and white signal flags and a special code.

The code to the left is like the code used during the Civil War.

Use the code and your arms to signal. 1 means you raise one arm and then lower it. 2 means you raise both arms at the same time and then lower them.Lower both arms and count to 3 in between each letter.

Now it’s your turn! Get a partner and use the code to signal messages. Try to signal your name. Do you think you could have been a signaler?

Signal Corps Camp Quarters Near Georgetown. 1862. Library of Congress.

3

Could you be a signaler?

Civil War Signal Code

For example, an A would look like this. An E would look like this.

P Z F P C S R D E S S M M Q M D D Q C ZZ Q L X L Q P V U B I S O C X N I P H CS N E Z I T I C R P I J M A Y A W W O QH G O B F R S U X F O I O V D L K E I SS Q H X D R B S P O L N E R E K H O E QW H Z T W U E C E L W V T T N R F D J UX D R Q S U X E A R K L T A O A L A J AG O U I K K Z N D E G I B Q D P W V C TF C I V I L W A R M L N T V N V B I M TC B S C E N I C F N E C O L A Q A S X EB Q Q N I W G W T L B N R C B Y L Z X DI P R S T I X U K V B Q G I A P L V A TZ Q G P F Y P C H D Z G I Q C W U R H NN O T M A R C R E P P A C M O T M O G ZF G I K D L K L K S L T K D H Y R J I BK L E U Y C S W Y T B B W N F L L O X ZQ O T D L P L T R Y L W F T W K K Y F MI M L Z Y O V J P P X P O V Y R G G Q VK N Z T Y Y T R U W R Z Z I P O B R D JS W H W S S N E Z J B F I J F W I W G C

2

16

Fort Drive

Before the Civil War, the area we know as parks was mostly farms. After the war, the forts were abandoned and the army returned the land to the original owners. Many freedmen squatted near the abandoned forts, using the wood and materials left behind to build shelters until they could find permanent homes. In 1902, the McMillan Commission was interested in the fort land. Washington was growing quickly and the Commission wanted to plan the growth to keep the capital city beautiful. It thought about using the fort land to build a scenic road through new suburbs and call it Fort Drive. Little of the fort land had homes or businesses nearby, so it could be bought cheaply. Despite this plan, the land was not bought. In 1912, a group of citizens from East Washington Heights convinced Congress to buy Forts Davis and Dupont for parks. No other land was bought until the 1930 Capper-Cramton Act which gave money to buy land for parks, playgrounds, and roads in Washington. However, the suburbs outgrew the Fort Circle and plans for Fort Drive were deserted. Instead of a scenic road, Fort Circle communities now have more than 400 acres of parkland.

Why were the Fort Circle Parks preserved? Read below for answers, then find at least 8 highlighted words in the word search.

2

Community

Gardens

Healthy Food ChoicesYou can find people making healthy choices in the Community Gardens at Fort Dupont. People grow their own vegetables plus have fun and get exercise while gardening. Everyone can make healthy choices, no matter who they are!

Flip a coin to move. If you flip a heads, move ahead

You organized yourself the night before, so you had time to eat breakfast this morning! Break-fast is the most important meal of the day.

START

You split a fast food meal with a friend. It’s okay to have fast food sometimes and splitting a meal is healthier than eating one yourself.

You drank 3 sodas today instead of having a milk, fruit juice, or water too. Do 10 sit ups before your next turn.

You didn’t play outside all week! Being active is important. Do 25 jumping jacks to flip again.

You took the elevator instead of the stairs today. Run in place for 30 seconds before taking your next turn.

Good job! You came home from school but didn’t have a snack be-cause you weren’t hungry.

You had chips at lunch, but you didn’t eat the entire bag. Everyone eats snacks, just don’t stuff yourself!

FINISH

Trying to be healthy, you cut ALL fats out of your diet. Your body needs some healthy fats, like ones in oils and nuts. Do 12 push-ups before you take another turn.

Instead of candy for a snack, you had trail mix. The dried fruit and nuts are healthy, plus you still get a little candy. Smart choice!

You helped write the grocery list and picked out some healthy meals and snacks. Adults DO listen to you! (At least sometimes...)

one space, tails move ahead two. If you land on a square with a less healthy choice, you must do the exercise in the square to balance it with a healthy activity. Follow the game board and see how fast you can finish!

2

Play With Your Food!

17

Fort Circle Parks — East

Convince ‘em!

Create a flyer that would get your family and friends to visit the parks. Don’t forget to use words AND pictures!

If you get stuck, here are some reminders:

Community Gardens

Views Over the CitySummer Concerts

Recreation AreasBird Watching

PhotographyPicnic AreasEarthworks

JoggingHikingBiking

18

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19

REMEMBER:º People won’t come to the concerts if they can’t drive or picnic during the show. º Artists perform for free.

StewardshipIn the National Park Service, stewardship means caring for parks so they are healthy and can be shared with many people for a long time.

The best way for you to care for the parks is to leave nothing behind from your visit. However, rangers protect the parks in other ways. Read these stories and decide what you would do.

REMEMBER:° Plants keep the dirt on the earthworks from washing away in rain or wind.° Plants cut down will grow back in 2 weeks.° People are interested in learning more about the earthworks and why they are important.

The Fort Dupont Summer Concert Series brings hundreds of visitors to the park. However, visitors are leaving a lot of trash and are driving on the grass to get to the concert. This is hurting the plants and wildlife in the park.

How would you protect the plants and wildlife, but continue hosting concerts?

Need a hint? Check out the suggestions on page 22.

Fort Circle Parks— East has many Civil War earthworks. However, because forests have regrown since the Civil War, the earthworks are either far from the trails or covered in plants. It is hard to see the earthworks in the summer when the parks have the most visitors.

20

2

How would you preserve the forest and the earthworks but also share their importance?

If you were the park ranger...

21

DIRECTIONS

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Your Secret Spot MapUnderstanding a map is an important skill when hiking or biking.

Pick a secret spot in the park. Using landmarks and written directions, make a map to the spot. Draw your map in the space below. Write directions to the right. Don’t forget to show your path, plus the start and finish. Try to make your map as easy to understand as possible!

Test your map on some friends. Could they follow your directions? Can you follow the directions?

2

22

Hints

If you still don’t understand topographic maps, try this. Get a washable marker. Make a fist with the hand you don’t write with. Using the marker, draw even lines around the “hills” on your hand. Then, lay your hand flat. Can you see how the lines you drew show the topography of your hand? Where is your hand the steepest? The shallowest?

Page 20: Stewardship Suggestions

Earthworks: Could you...-Plant grasses to protect, but allow people to still see the shape of the earthwork?-Post signs with historic photos of what the earthworks used to look like?- After doing research, clean off one earthwork so people can see what they looked like and leave the other earthworks covered?

Concert Series: Could you...-Have volunteers direct traffic away from grass?-Provide plenty of trash and recycling cans? If you do this, who is going to empty these cans after the concerts?-Make announcements before and after every show explaining ways people can protect the park?

What are your ideas?

Page 8: More Topography

Page 15: Fort Drive Answer Key

About It

Think

This Junior Ranger booklet was funded by the National Park Foundation, national charitable partner of America’s National Parks. The National Park Foundation supports the NPS Junior Ranger program as part of their nationwide effort to connect children to America’s heritage and ensure the future of our national parks.

To become a WebRanger, visit www.nps.gov/webrangers.

Field NotesUse this space to take notes when you are doing your activities. You can also record interesting events that occur or things you’d like to remember about your visit to Fort Circle Parks— East.

Congratulations on becoming a Junior Ranger! There are many other national parks near Washington that have Junior Ranger Programs including the National Mall, Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens, Greenbelt Park, Rock Creek Park, and others. Visit a park and ask about their Junior Ranger Programs. You can also learn about national parks as a